Santos (11-1 MMA, 5-0 SF) and Yamanaka (12-2 MMA, 0-1 SF) faced off in the co-main event of “Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal,” and the brief bout ended as quickly as it began. Santos immediately rushed forward and landed two right hands that dropped Yamanaka to her knees. The champion briefly looked to secure a rear-naked choke but thought better of it and allowed her opponent to stand.

As a wobbly Yamanaka got to her feet, Santos swarmed with more punches, and a right-left combination sent the 5-foot-11 Yamanaka crashing to the mat against the cage. Referee Luis Cobian dove in to rescue Yamanaka from further punishment, which gave Santos the quickest win of her career. All five of Santos’ Strikeforce bouts have ended in knockout victories.

Following the fight, Santos was asked about potential challengers to her title, as well as a possible move down to 135 pounds. While dropping down in weight may not be possible for Santos, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, who is 7-0 in pro and amateur MMA bouts with seven first-minute armbar victories, looks to be a likely opponent for the champion down the line.

Rousey has won both of her fights in Strikeforce and first expressed an interest in facing Santos while still competing as an amateur in late 2010. Rousey, has also recently entertained thoughts of dropping to 135 pounds in hopes of securing a fight with Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Miesha “Takedown” Tate, but with the organization’s recently renewed commitment to the Strikeforce 145-pound women’s division, Rousey may be the last remaining contender for Santos’ featherweight title.

Cage Warriors announces four-woman title tourney

Leading U.K. promotion Cage Warriors Fighting Championship announced this past week that a four-woman tournament will begin in April to crown a 125-pound champion. Three of the four tournament participants have already been confirmed, with the final fighter expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The first tournament-semifinal bout is scheduled for “CWFC: Fight Night 5″ on April 15 in Amman, Jordan. Rising star Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff (9-4-1) faces an opponent to be determined on the card. Gaff has won back-to-back fights, including an eight-second knockout of the previously unbeaten Hanna Sillen.

The second semifinal has already been billed as the biggest women’s bout in European MMA history. England’s top female MMA fighter, Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton (12-2), returns to action to face fellow Bellator veteran Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (13-2) at Cage Warriors 47 in Daly’s hometown of Dublin. The fight takes place on May 5.

Sexton has already worn Cage Warriors gold. She captured a 132-pound championship in 2005 and is a perfect 5-0 in Cage Warriors bouts. Most recently, Sexton has scored wins over Sally Krumdiack and Roxanne Modafferi under the Cage Warriors banner, but she was sidelined for the second half of 2011 due to a concussion suffered in training.

Daly is no stranger to championships herself. In June, she upset hometown favorite Jessica “Evil” Eye to capture the NAAFS 125-pound women’s title in Ohio. Daly has won three straight fights dating back to a TKO defeat against fellow tournament participant Gaff in April. The Irish standout has eyes on a rematch with Gaff and may receive one if she is able to defeat Sexton.

The winners of the semifinal bouts advance on to the tournament final at “CWFC: Fight Night 6″ on Sept. 1 in Istanbul, Turkey. The tournament champion then will be presented with the Cage Warriors 125-pound women’s title.
Hamasaki retains title, Sugiyama wins grand prix at “Jewels: 17th Ring”

Megumi Fujii protege Ayaka Hamasaki (6-0) kept her unbeaten record intact in the main event of “Jewels: 17th Ring” this past Saturday in Tokyo. The reigning JEWELS lightweight (52 kilograms/114 pounds) queen champion earned her second victory over South Korean striker Seo Hee Ham (9-5), though the bout ended in disappointing fashion.

Hamasaki took Ham to the mat seconds into the fight and looked to keep her there throughout the first round. Ham managed to escape to her feet on two occasions, but Hamasaki took her back down and struck from the top. Late in the round, Ham stood and tried for a takedown of her own but fell back into a triangle choke instead. Hamasaki stayed calm and made it to the bell.

Between rounds, Ham was unable to get back to her feet due to what was later deemed to be a back injury. The injury reportedly occurred in the weeks leading up to the fight and was aggravated during the late-round triangle choke. Ham’s corner threw in the towel on her behalf and Hamasaki retained her title by TKO at the 5:00 mark of round one.

In the co-main event of the all-female JEWELS card, Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama (7-0) submitted veteran Misaki Takimoto (15-13-4) for the second time, this time in the finals of the inaugural JEWELS featherweight queen grand prix. With the win, Sugiyama remains unbeaten and became the first JEWELS featherweight (48 kilograms/106 pounds) queen champion.

Takimoto found early success with kicks in the tournament final, but Sugiyama countered well with punching combinations and closed the distance. She tried to take down Takimoto and eventually did so near the midway point of the round. Sugiyama moved to side control and attempted an armbar. Takimoto scissored her legs around Sugiyama’s head in defense, but Sugiyama freed herself and broke Takimoto’s grip. She leaned back on the armbar, and Takimoto’s corner threw in the towel just as referee Yoshinori Umeki jumped in for the save. The stoppage came at the 4:09 mark of round one.

Earlier in the night, Sugiyama advanced to the final by edging out fellow prospect Kikuyo Ishikawa (6-3) in one semifinal. Sugiyama was able to narrowly overcome Ishikawa’s array of kicks with clinchwork and punches in close en route to a split-decision victory after two rounds.

Takimoto earned her spot in the final by defeating improbable contender Yukiko Seki (10-21), who had won five of six leading into the fight. Seki employed her usual strategy of looping punches in the first round, but Takimoto kept her distance and dropped her opponent early in round two. Takimoto’s technical striking and a late takedown were enough to seal a unanimous-decision verdict.

The night’s tournament reserve bout saw Sachiko “Sachi” Yamamoto (9-6-1) earned the biggest victory of her career with a split-decision win over former Valkyrie flyweight champion Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada (12-7-3). Yamamoto scored takedowns throughout round one and threatened with armbars as the fight progressed. Tamada rallied late with a rear-naked-choke attempt, but it proved to be too little, too late, and Yamamoto took the well-earned decision.

In other featured action, former Valkyrie featherweight champion “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi (9-3-1) took a contentious split-decision victory over JEWELS poster girl Mika “Future Princess” Nagano (8-6). Nagano appeared to be in full control of the bout after a dominant first round, but a mistake midway through the second round allowed Yamaguchi to strike from mount. The fighters traded punches in the final 20 seconds, and Yamaguchi got the better of the exchange. Her late success was enough to steal back the fight on two judges’ scorecards. A third scored the bout for Nagano, who was visibly upset with the questionable decision loss.

JEWELS continued to shine a spotlight on teen prospects at “17th Ring.” The card featured four fighters aged 16 or younger, including two in MMA bouts.

In professional action, 16-year-old grappler Shino VanHoose (2-0) earned a unanimous-decision victory over Asami Higa (0-3) in her JEWELS debut. Despite Higa’s striking dominance in the second round, VanHoose’s takedowns and submission attempts were enough to take the win.

Fujii has won back-to-back fights in Japan since suffering a contentious split-decision loss to Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel in the finals of the 2010 Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament. Of her 24 career wins, 18 have come by way of submission. Fujii’s DREAM debut will be her second straight fight on a year-end card in Japan. Last year, she defeated Emi Fujino at “Sengoku Raiden Championship: Soul of Fight.”

Benitez travels to Japan for her first fight in the country and looks to rebound from the first defeat of her career. In October, she dropped a unanimous decision to late replacement Katja Katkaanpaa in Finland. Prior to the loss, Benitez was unbeaten in seven bouts with six victories and a no-contest. She scored a notable win over England’s Simona Soukupova in August.

The bout between Fujii and Benitez will be contested over three, five-minute rounds at a weight of 52 kilograms (114 pounds).

Quick results

Anna Zucchelli (1-1) defeated Helena Martin (0-4) by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at the 5:00 mark of round one at “KAYO MMA 6″ on Dec. 11 in Watford, England. Zucchelli earned her first MMA win with the stoppage. She dropped a close decision to fellow Muay Thai champion Karen “9mm” Ousey in her pro MMA debut at UCMMA 22 in August.

Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena (3-0) defeated Rachael Swatez (4-3) by submission (guillotine choke) at the 0:17 mark of round two at “Conquest of the Cage” on Dec. 15. The bout took place just outside of Pena’s hometown of Spokane, Wash., in the nearby suburb of Airway Heights. Pena fought for the first time in more than two years after a pair of serious knee injuries kept her on the sidelines. With the victory, Pena became the first woman to finish Swatez in seven bouts. All of Pena’s professional wins have come by knockout or submission.

Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (7-4) defeated Michelle “Bobcat” Blalock (1-1) by submission (guillotine choke) at the 1:02 mark of round two at “Ring of Fire 42: Who’s Next” on Dec. 17 in Broomfield, Colo. Schuckman moved up in weight for the fight after recent bouts at 110 pounds and captured the Ring of Fire 125-pound “Young Guns” women’s title with the impressive win.

A scheduled rematch between Jennifer “Lil’ Ice” Berg and Stephanie “The Scrapper” Skinner on Dec. 17 in Denver, Colo. was scrapped on the day of weigh-ins after Berg failed to make weight. The bout had been set to headline the co-promoted Rocky Mountain Bad Boyz and The Beatdown’s “Proving Grounds” card.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every other Monday. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.

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